Choosing a training resource in the HVAC electrical trades space often starts with a format question: are you a reader who wants a full textbook, or a visual learner who wants a guided video/manual course? The four products here cover both routes, with listed prices spanning from a low-cost DVD to a full hardcover reference.
Quick Take
If you work on refrigeration, heating, and air conditioning systems and need to build electrical knowledge, the Cengage 11th edition hardcover is the most detailed textbook-style option. If you want an inexpensive, structured introduction to heating and cooling basics, the HVAC Technician Training Class DVD is the lowest-priced entry point. In between, the 25th Anniversary 7th Edition hardcover offers a broad service-and-repair survey with green-building content, while the Dick Wirz text with CD focuses on commercial refrigeration for air conditioning technicians.
Listed Prices at a Glance
| Product | Listed price | Price bar | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cengage Electricity for Refrigeration, Heating & Air Conditioning, 11th Ed | $125.00 | Hardcover | |
| HVAC Technician Training Class, Learn Heating & Air Conditioning Basics DVD E97 | $10.95 | DVD | |
| Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technology 25th Anniversary Hardcover 7th Ed | $40.00 | Hardcover | |
| Commercial Refrigeration for Air Conditioning Technicians by Dick Wirz with CD | $50.00 | Trade Paperback with CD |
Decision Matrix
- Choose the Cengage 11th edition if your main goal is understanding the electrical systems used in refrigeration, heating, and air conditioning. It is a hardcover textbook written for adult and further education.
- Choose the HVAC Technician Training Class DVD if you want a low-cost, video-based overview of HVAC basics with course-manual material and a bonus plumbing introduction.
- Choose the 25th Anniversary 7th Edition if you want a broad HVAC/R service and repair foundation that includes green awareness, LEED, and building-performance topics.
- Choose Commercial Refrigeration for Air Conditioning Technicians if your daily work is moving into commercial refrigeration and you want a dedicated guide with a CD.
Product Notes
Cengage Electricity for Refrigeration, Heating & Air Conditioning, 11th Ed
This hardcover by Russell E. Smith and Coleman Simmons is a like-new 11th edition aimed at adult and further education. It gives you a complete, textbook-length treatment of electrical systems for refrigeration, heating, and air conditioning, so it works as a study resource for a technical course or as a reference while you work through wiring and control concepts. The limitation is the format: this is not a quick video or a hands-on workbook. If you are looking for a short overview, the depth here is meant for sustained reading and study.
HVAC Technician Training Class, Learn Heating & Air Conditioning Basics DVD E97
This DVD course is the lowest-priced item in the group. It includes course manuals, a bonus introduction to plumbing basics, and a 159-page manual covering operation and maintenance of small heating systems. It is a useful way to get an overview of HVAC service and repair without committing to a large textbook. The trade-off is the format: it is a video/manual course on disc rather than a current print textbook, so you need a device that can play it and you will not get the depth of a full electrical-systems reference.
Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technology 25th Anniversary Hardcover 7th Ed
This 25th Anniversary hardcover, in good condition, is a broad HVAC/R service and repair text from Bill Whitman, Bill Johnson, John Tomczyk, and Eugene Silberstein. It includes updated green awareness, LEED accreditation, building performance, and soft skills and customer-relations issues, along with more than 260 photos. That breadth makes it a good foundation for technicians who want a general survey of modern HVAC/R. The limitation is condition: it is listed as good, not like new, so expect a used hardcover with some wear.
Commercial Refrigeration for Air Conditioning Technicians by Dick Wirz with CD
Dick Wirz's revised trade paperback is written for air conditioning technicians who want to understand commercial refrigeration. This like-new copy of the 2006 Delmar Cengage Learning textbook has 384 pages and includes a CD for supplementary materials. If you already work on residential air conditioning and are expanding into commercial refrigeration equipment, this focused text gives you a dedicated path. The limitation is scope: this is not a general HVAC electrical text or a broad service-and-repair survey. It is specifically about commercial refrigeration, so it is best used alongside a more general reference.
Final Recommendation by Use Case
- For the lowest-priced entry point: the HVAC Technician Training Class DVD. At $10.95, it is the least expensive way to get a structured overview of heating and cooling basics with course-manual material.
- For electrical-system depth: the Cengage 11th edition. At $125.00, it is the highest-priced option, but it is also the one that centers on the technology and engineering of electricity in refrigeration, heating, and air conditioning.
- For a broad HVAC/R foundation: the 25th Anniversary 7th Edition at $40.00. It balances price and scope with service, repair, and sustainability topics.
- For commercial refrigeration work: Dick Wirz's Commercial Refrigeration for Air Conditioning Technicians at $50.00. It gives you a dedicated guide plus a CD, and it is written for A/C techs moving into commercial equipment.
